Fix the Problem
by Echo Elko
Summary: The Cellist is in danger. Agent Coulson plunges recklessly into action. Agent May puts her foot down. This story takes place after "Providence" (episode 118) and was written BEFORE "The Only Light in the Darkness" (episode 119). It calls back to episode 109, "Repairs" - so it's helpful if you have recently viewed that episode or remember it well.
1. Chapter 1

"Phil. This is a mistake." Melinda May's voice did not tremble, though she had to force the words out one by one. Coulson ignored her. He stood over the holotable, gesturing at the flickering screen and giving orders to the staff people buzzing about with clipboards. Agent May allowed herself to feel the humiliation. One moment was enough, one moment to thicken the skin. She swallowed and spoke again, louder this time.

"You need to listen."

The buzzing came to an abrupt stop.

"This is a bad op. I understand what you're dealing with right now. But this plan? This op? Your emotions are getting the best of you. You are making a mistake."

Agent Coulson brought his eyes to meet hers, his face a mask of anger and disgust. His voice rang out in the silent room.

"Oh really? I am? … I guess Bahrain would make you an expert in making operational mistakes."

Agent May felt his ridicule hit her in the face. She felt a dull ache spreading in her chest. Familiar sensations to her by now. It was a long time that he'd been angry. She responded with a slight, involuntary wince. But she did not look away.

"Yes. I am an expert. In my expert opinion this is a bad call. We are playing right into their -"

Coulson held his hand up. "I'm not interested in your opinion."

May took a step forward. She lowered her voice.

"Phil, this is a trap that they have set for us. And you are walking the team straight into it."

"I'm not -"

"We should wait for orders."

"You want some orders to follow?" He was shouting now. "Follow mine. Or find somewhere else to be!"

He looked away and at the staff - standing frozen and embarrassed.

"That goes for everybody here."

He did not glance back at her. He turned to the field tech standing beside him. The crowd returned to work. The room quickly filled back up with noise. But all was quiet in Melinda's head. Deep inside, she felt herself drowning.

[...]

"Why are you - what are you doing?" Simmons found her in the back of the plane. Her parachute was nearly on. May rolled her eyes as she finished with the straps.

"I'm finding somewhere else to be." Bewilderment passed over Simmons' face. Then desperation.

"Agent May, please. Coulson has said some very unfair things to you. Cruel things, really." May snorted. She turned and walked away from Simmons, moving down the ramp. The biochemist followed her.

"But he doesn't mean a word of it. He's just upset." May stopped. The woman's voice was breaking. "Everything is just ...all upset. It's all wrong." May turned and looked at Simmons. She saw the tears shining in her eyes and felt a pang of pity. She reached out and gave her arm a squeeze.

"Listen," she said. "I know everything's wrong. That's why I'm going to fix it. I'm going to fix the problem."

[...]

"All-call. Meeting in 2 minutes."

"Yes, Sir." Coulson put down his paperwork and brought his finger to his temple. A pounding headache. A wave of nausea. He thought of the hundred operations that came before this one. Their stakes seemed meaningless in retrospect. They were all leading him to this one day. "Today is another operation," he murmured. Today, Audrey lives or dies.

"Sir, we have 3 specialists waiting on-site. And 5 of 6 are in the room."

"We need all hands on this, Lieutenant. Who's missing?"

"Agent Melinda May."

"Find her," he said, irritated. He spotted his engineer at the far end of the room. "Fitz, I want May here now. I want to know -"

"She's gone." A voice called out from outside the open doors. The threshold was crowded with people waiting to be briefed. Simmons had to push her way in.

"What?"

"She took a chute. I saw her."

Skye stood up, mouth open, incredulous. "When was that?"

"Twenty minutes ago."

Coulson looked down and cleared his throat. "Did she say where she was going?"

"No. She didn't." He lifted his eyes and saw that Simmons' face was red and full of accusation. "She said she was going to fix the problem."

Fitz gazed at Simmons, confused. "What the hell does that mean?"

Skye shuddered. She looked at Coulson - watched him swallow, hard. The air between them was suddenly heavy with dread.


	2. Chapter 2

She drifted into twilight. The sun was just set, its dying embers leaving stains of pink and purple across the sky. Wind brushed past her, enveloping her in peace and tranquility. For not the first time in her life, May was glad for gravity. Without it she might be tempted to stay in the air forever. Gravity was a friend. A relief. An inevitability she didn't have to fight. She felt heavy, sinking fast. And she watched, almost in a daze, as the ground rushed up to meet her.

_Thwack! _

The landing shook her awake. Her weight was on her shoulder. "Ahhh." A groan escaped as she dragged her body forward. She put pressure on her ankle. Unbroken. She looked up, peering into the darkening sky. There was SHIELD 616, barely a pinprick. Headed west. "Wrong direction," May thought. For once she was happy Coulson refused to listen to her. He'd left them no time to repair the fuel lines. The plane would be at least a couple hundred miles out before they realized their mistake. Then they would need to double back and gas up. May guessed her window was at most 90 minutes. She yanked off the parachute, breathing heavily. The air was already getting cold. She did not have the luxury of time. But she gave herself a moment to watch as SHIELD 616 disappeared into the horizon. The ache in her chest edged back. She blinked, and pushed it away. 90 minutes.

[...]

"Do not. Move."

"No. No. Stay away."

"Quiet!"

" I'm begging you. Plea-" Agent May grimaced, smashing her hand over the woman's mouth.

"I'm going to help you. But I can't if you don't shut up. Right. Now." The woman struggled beneath her grip, eyes wide and brimming with tears.

"Listen to me," May hissed. "I work with Phil." She felt the pressure against her arms relax. She released the woman and watched her sink into the wall.

"Phil?" She let out a stifled sob. "Is he here?"

"Tell me your name."

"Audrey." She risked a look. Here at last was Phil's one true love. Her eyes were red, her hair was tangled. But she was pretty. A delicate flower crumpled on the floor of a dirty holding cell.

"Good."

"Is he here?"

"No." Agent May told herself to be gentle. For Coulson's sake.

"Do exactly what I say."

[...]

"Well, she sure as hell didn't get out on her own. No more Mr. Nice Guy. I want her alive, and I want her friend-s, singular or plural, dead at my feet. You understand? Don't come back to me without a body." Agent May recognized the voice of John Garrett. The man could order murder like it was a turkey sandwich. Audrey crouched next to her, knees clutched, breath coming in gasps.

"Oh God," she said. "Are we dead?" May shook her head.

"No. They're trying to kill me. You they want for bait."

"For what?" May didn't answer her. She was listening to the footsteps as they hit the floor.

They were falling closer together.

"This is it," she whispered, grabbing Audrey's arm. "You're going."

"I'm going?"

"Right now."

Audrey tried to pull away. "No. We should stay here. They'll see us."

"They have seen us. They're coming for us right now."

"Please can't we wait. Just wait."

"In less than an hour, SHIELD will blast into a HYDRA complex. The wrong one.

Phil thinks you're there. If that happens, it's a bloodbath. We lose everything."

"I can't -"

"Pay attention." May bent down and whispered directions into her face. Audrey stared back at her, uncomprehending. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Agent May clenched her teeth. She held Audrey with one hand. With the other she unholstered an icer. Audrey looked at it, surprised. Without another word, May shot her in the chest. The gun made a popping sound in Audrey's body. May caught her as she fell. "Kind of tall," she observed. She struggled with the body for a moment. Finally, with a grunt, she pushed it out a window. "Room for one," she said, to no one in particular

[...]

"What the hell is that."

"Looks like a car."

"Yeah-huh. Got that. See who's driving?"

"Oh."

" 'Oh' is right. Safety off, but keep your finger off the trigger."

"Yes, Sir."

The guards watched as the vehicle rolled up the driveway, slowing to a stop in front of the gate.

"Get my back McClosky."

"Got your back, sir."

They moved out from behind the entrance, making a wide circle around the car.

"Challenge, McClosky."

McClosky cleared his throat. "State your name and intention," he hollered, "or kiss your ass goodbye."

[...]

"Where is she?" His throat was hoarse. He strode through the hangar, fueled by the wild hope that his legs were somehow carrying him closer to her. Simmons struggled to keep up.

"This way sir," she panted. "A local fellow drove her in. He's in debriefing now. He had ten thousand dollars on him. The car wasn't his either." Coulson tried to focus. But everything he heard seemed to slip away.

"Is this …?"

"Yes. She's …" Coulson pushed open the door, leaving Simmons in the hallway.

Skye saw her standing there, a discomfitted look passing over her face. She offered the biochemist a stick of gum.

"No, thank you. Sensitive teeth."

"Audrey's in there."

Simmons nodded. "Coulson's with her now."

"How is she?"

"She's in shock. Possibly concussed. Other than that, everything seems to be in order."

"Oh." Skye glanced at Simmons.

"What about the operation? Cancelled?"

Simmons sighed heavily. "He didn't say."

"Kind of weird to escape from the bowels of Hydra with barely a scratch, right?"

"I should say so." A silence fell between them.

"I'm worried about May."

"Me, too."

[...]

"Don't speak," he told her. Coulson sat on the edge of the bed, her hand in his. "We're taking care of everything." The room was a murky glaze. Audrey felt as if she were stirring from a bad dream. Suddenly, she was wide awake.

"Phil!" She tried to sit up, but there were hands pressing on her shoulders. A nurse hovered over her.

"She needs to stay calm."

Coulson stood and touched Audrey's face. "Its alright."

"No," she said, "no, it's not. She said to tell you to stop it. No matter what, don't do it. It's a bad operation. She said it's a bad operation."

Coulson felt the floor fall out beneath him. His words came out in a shudder. "She said .."

"She said to make you stop it, no matter what. No matter what."

"Who is _she_?" The voice came from behind him. He hadn't heard the door push open. But there was Jemma Simmons at the foot of the bed, reading Audrey's chart. Skye was standing in the threshold.

"I - I don't know. I don't think she said her name." Audrey turned her face towards Coulson. "She said she worked with you."

"It's May, sir." Simmons put the chart down.

Skye took a step into the room. "It's definitely 100% her. And if she's still there, she needs our help.."

"No, no. It doesn't matter. They were about to kill her." Audrey struggled to sit up again. "I'm the bait. I'm the bait. They want me alive. Her they want to kill. They need to bring him a body."

Horror was etched on Coulson's face. His eyes rested on Audrey's hand, still clutched in his own. He spoke quietly, without looking up.

"Skye, tell Fitz to rush the gas-up. Then I need you to find us a pilot."

Skye nodded, exchanging a wordless glance with Simmons as she left. Audrey watched her go. All at once, the fog lifted and panic set in.

"Wait. Don't. It's a bloodbath! You can't!"

Coulson brushed back her hair, trying to soothe her. "Audrey, Audrey, Audrey, shhhh."

The nurse glared at him. "I'm going to get the doctor."

"The woman you met does work with me. I can't just leave her up there alone. We have to g-"

"But she said you wouldn't. She said she's bad bait. She's not a friend." Coulson felt Simmons stiffen behind him. He remembered those words. They rang back ugly and misshapen to him now.

"Excuse me." The nurse was back, doctor in tow. "There are too many people in this room. You're putting stress on my patient."

"We're going." Coulson kissed Audrey's hand. "I have to go."

"You can't."

"I have to Audrey. I love you."

"You can't!"

"2 mg Lorazepam."

Coulson watched in silence as the doctor administered the injection. He felt Audrey's grip weaken. Her eyes were closing.

"But I was supposed to stop you."


	3. Chapter 3

May was awake long before she opened her eyes. She could feel someone there, watching her breathe. She was under some kind of artificial light, lying on something cold. Barefoot.

"I know you can hear me." She knew the voice. She bolted upright.

"Easy."

She was dressed as if she might be on her way to her old job in administration. White blouse, black skirt.

"You son of a -"

"Easy."

She didn't trust her legs to bear her weight, and she would not chance a fall in front of him. She made a half second assessment. Some kind of rectangular room. Or cage. Eighteen by ten, maybe. Curved walls, around 10 feet high. Smooth, no footholds. Sunken into the earth or something. Exposed at the top. Grant Ward stood on high, peering down at her.

"Don't. You. Easy. Me."

"You're alive because I respect you, May. I wish you could extend the same courtesy."

"Not happening."

"Didn't think so." He grimaced. "Garrett gave the order to put you down there. We call it the choke box. He's going to seal it off. Let you strangle."

"What are you waiting for? Let's do it."

Ward crouched down, looking at her closely. "I said he's going to. Not me."

May snorted. "Not you."

"I'm loyal to Garrett. Some things are so bad, you can never go back. You know that."

Her eyes spat disgust.

"But that doesn't mean you have to die."

He straightened up.

"Down there. Look for a panel. What's inside is for you."

"Whatever it is, you can keep it."

Ward ignored her. "He's going to do it when the sun comes up. Wait until then." He backed away from the edge. "I wish things could have been different."

"I wish I could have killed you."

Ward smiled. "Me, too."

[...]

_**12 years earlier ….**_

_The sound she was making. It could curdle blood. A door opened and Janesick limped out, clamping a towel to his neck. The ladies at the desk gaped, watching as it bloomed from white to red. "Call Coulson," he told them._

_[...]_

_Coulson did not recognize her right away. Everything about her seemed to be shrunken. She needed a shower. She was barefoot and unblinking._

_When Coulson saw her, he instinctively dropped to his hands and knees. "May?" He reached out to wrap his hand around her toes. They were freezing. He took all of it in and let out a sigh. She looked so small._

[...]

"_What did you-"_

"_Close the damn door." Coulson reached back and pulled it shut._

"_What did you do to her?"_

"_She's sedated."_

"_She's catatonic!"_

"_I got you down here as a favor. Broke protocol, as a favor. To you. To her. At this point we're thinking Section 8."_

"_You've got to be kidding me. It's way too soon for that."_

"_I'm pushing the ceiling on Haldol. When it wears off she starts screaming, and trust me when I say it doesn't stop. Doesn't sleep. Doesn't eat. Had to practically induce a coma to get fluids into her."_

"_It's still-."_

"_It's been five days, man." Janesick shook his head. "This ain't garden variety combat stress."_

_Coulson gave him an angry frown. "She can't get better the way she is. You're not taking care of her."_

"_We're doing our best. Anybody tries to touch her, she gets violent."_

"_When was her last dose?"_

"_Coming up on two hours."_

_Coulson nodded. "Fine. Then she'll be coming out of it. I'm going to be with her when she does."_

"_Listen, I wasn't joking-."_

"_She's not going to hurt me. And if you need to lock me in with her, go right ahead. I won't mind at all. Okay?" Coulson didn't wait for his answer._

**[...]**

"Heyyy. How's our guest? You like your outfit? Couldn't have you sitting down there in those bloody clothes." John Garrett was standing above her, peering down into the room like a demon lording over a pit. "Don't worry. Ward's the one that got you dressed. He's seen all that before." He grinned. May's stomach turned.

"You're quiet," he said. "Don't suppose you're gonna beg?"

She refused to look at him, but from the corner of her eye, she saw him begin to pace.

"Fine with me. Wouldn't do you any good. How about you do me some good? I want you to tell me what you shot me with." He received no reply. "Come on you pitiless bitch. I'm sick as a dog. What was it?" Now it was her turn to grin.

"I know, real funny. Let me see what I got here." He turned around and pulled a lifeless body forward. The light was too dim to make out anything more than an outline. May heard a gun cock. "How about now. Is it funny now?"

She let out an irritated hiss. What difference did it make?

"The bullet was laced with radiation," she said. "You're dead." For a moment, he froze. Was that shock, or maybe disbelief, passing over his face?

"So are you. Guess we'll all go nice and slow."

He gave the body a kick and it tumbled into the room, landing on the bottom with a disconcerting thud. John Garrett grinned again and walked away. Then the room was suddenly alive, buzzing with mechanical noise. May watched as a kind of ceiling unfolded, blocking the light from above. For a moment she stood in pitch blackness. There was a fizzing sound - the room sealing her in. Lights flickered. May used a hand to shield her eyes from their harsh blue glow. She got a first good look at her company. "Uhhhfff," she groaned. Lying there in a battered heap was the man himself: Phillip J. Coulson. Agent May rolled her eyes. "Just perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

He scowled at her."You left."

She exhaled sharply. "I did what you told me."

"I didn't tell you to leave. "

"It's what you wanted."

"You have no idea what I want."

May let her voice rise. "Don't you try pinning this on me. I've never been the one who wants to leave."

Coulson reeled back, fixing her with an intent stare.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He knew exactly what she meant.

"Nothing."

"Nothing. Nothing." His mouth quivered with frustration. "Right."

"We can't talk about this now."

"You listen to me. Since you brought it up." He pointed at her, shaking as the words came crashing out. " I did everything I could. I tried everything I could think of. I was there, Melinda. I was right there, holding you in my own two arms, begging you."

"I remember."

"I begged you to say something."

"Yes."

"And you told me to go."

"It's what you wanted."

"There it is. That's really why it was over. How could you say that to me? You don't know what I want."

"Ha!" May snorted. "I know better than you. What kind of woman makes you happy. _I _made you happy. After Bahrain, I had to let that person go." Her voice dropped. She turned away from him. "I couldn't go on trying to be the person I used to think I could be. Otherwise I'd go crazy. You told me that yourself."

They lapsed into silence. May felt him settle down, come unclenched. But she couldn't bear to face him. And there was nothing ahead but the wall. She reached out to touch its smooth, grey surface. It was nearly a mirror. She could almost see her reflection.

"Audrey make it back?"

"Yes."

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine."

"I'm glad."

"Thank you."

Silence again. She watched him from the corner of her eye. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, holding his head with his hand.

"I told you I wanted to stay. What made you so sure I didn't want to stay?"

"I was never sure. Not until you left."

[...]

Agent May knew how much air they had left. She could do the math in her head. Oxygen didn't matter. Carbon dioxide would kill them first. With two people breathing, it might be 12 hours, at most. Her change of clothes was helpfully accessorized with an oversized watch. Garrett most likely meant to torture her with the passing of time. Instead she was grateful. She smiled at her victory.

Coulson did not know anything. She was grateful for that, too. She watched him unfasten his vest, roll down his sleeves, and straighten his tie. He fell asleep with his cheek pressed to the wall. "The sleep of the just," she murmured. Once he was out, she took a moment to look for Ward's panel. She found it in the far right corner of the room. A seam in the floor, nearly invisible. Beneath it was a mask and a small tank of 02. When May saw it, she sighed. "Room for one," she said.

[...]

The minute hand advanced with a menacing tick. Coulson was worried. "They were right behind me," he said. "They should be here by now." May did not answer him. She saw no reason to provide useless explanations. Their cage was built to be a coffin. Most likely it was tucked away somewhere dark and hidden. It might be a long time before anyone found them. "My head is killing me." Coulson winced. "Been knocked around one too many times, I think." May frowned, but said nothing. The pain was not a consequence of concussion. Their air supply was turning toxic. The poison was building in his system. She had a headache, too. She looked at her watch again. She needed to be spot on. If she acted too quickly, vital oxygen would be wasted. Too slowly and she might be overcome before she could finish the job.

When the moment came, she attacked from behind. Coulson never saw her coming. She made sure of that.

May cradled his body as they sank to the floor. She held him upright against her chest as she loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. "I know you hate this," she said, "but when they get here they're going to want to stick you fast." She was feeling queasy. Out of breath. "Almost done." She eased him down on his side, one arm outstretched. Then she sat up, trying to blink away the dizziness. There was Phil Coulson, laying beside her. He looked so much the part of a little boy. When he woke up, who would help him heal from this? May wished she could be the one. Her heart panged. "No, " she said, aloud. Before, she might have indulged the hurt for a moment. But there wasn't a point to that anymore. The only thing left to do was finish. Fix the problem.

She lay down next to Coulson and gently pulled the mask over his nose and mouth. Her face was inches from his, and she could not help but stare. So much of herself was connected to him. Looking at him was like watching her life flash before her eyes. Tears came, falling unbidden. Through the blur, she saw shadows beginning to gather, spreading from the corners of her vision. The lights were going out.

May lifted the mask from his face and kissed him quickly on his lips. "This isn't my fault. So don't you even try pinning it on me." Her words were both a laugh and a cry. She squeezed her eyes shut and reached around him. The tank valve opened with a pop and she heard the sound of oxygen rushing through the tubes. May wanted to open her eyes, to look at him again. But she knew that by now the darkness must be complete. She'd already seen him for the last time. "Phil." She clung to him, burying her face in his shirt.


	5. Chapter 5

A medic bent over Coulson. "This one is doing alright." He turned to May. "This one is not." He motioned to his partner. She stumbled over, hauling a jump bag

"She's not." Agent Blake's tone was skeptical.

"No." The medics disentangled May and eased her on to her back. "Trauma shears, please."

"She's not." Blake turned around, shaking away a stunned sensation.

"Okay, I want the rest of this wall down right now. Starting with this section right here. We are going to need a path for advanced life support, so lets move it like we mean it." He clapped, sharply. "Hey you. You think I'm kidding? Get a chainsaw in your hands or I'll put one through your head."

[...]

When Coulson woke up, he was by himself. A needle was sticking in his arm. Everything ached. He turned his head and discovered that he could see into the next room. The curtains were pulled back. When Coulson saw her lying there, his first thought was of how uncomfortable she looked. She was passed out on a gurney. No pillow, no blanket. The apparatus was pushed low and completely flat. He thought: That's going to hurt her back. Coulson struggled out of bed with a grunt. He tried to put weight on his feet and instantly fell to his knees. He was too weary to insist on standing. Instead, he crawled across the floor, amid a mess of blood and bandages.

He took her hands. They felt cold. "May?" A moment passed, and Coulson was abruptly aware of the stillness in the room. There were no hurried voices or footsteps. No beeping machines. They'd gone and left her all alone. Panic mixed with indignation, and together they welled up inside him. "Where's the doctor! God damn it! She needs a doctor!" His chest heaved with the effort. He heard his voice crack, felt an angry tear spill down his face. "Somebody help me! Please! Help me!" No one answered. No one came.

A horrible dawn was breaking over him. Coulson wanted to run from it, to somehow hold it back. "Please, Melinda. Don't. Don't do this to me. Please. Don't." He dropped his head onto her bed, strangling a sob. "Please."

His breathing slowed. "Please." He felt the bedsheet beneath his cheek, cool and crisp. It had her scent. Her mother's garden. Jasmine. For a moment the crashing cymbals inside his mind were silenced.

"Phil ..."

It was barely a whisper. Coulson looked up. May's eyes were closed.

He was imagining things.

He looked down at her hands, entwined with his.

He watched as her fingers opened and pinched his arm.

"Ow!"

"...You jerk..."

[..]

Fitz and Skye spotted them in the hallway. Simmons was pushing him in a wheelchair. "Nice wheels, A.C."

Agent Coulson nodded. "Top of the line, spared no expense. And Fitz, thanks for fixing me up with a cup holder. It's really taken my experience to the next level."

Fitz shrugged modestly. But Sky heard him murmur under his breath: "Pure class."

"So, I hear May is on the mend." Coulson's face lit up.

"Yes. I was with her when she came out of it." He beamed. "She called me a jerk."

"Alright then," Simmons interrupted, hurrying to disengage the brakes. "Let's visit Mister MRI machine, shall we."

Skye watched them go. Simmons was weaving through traffic, pushing her patient down the wrong side of the corridor. "Maybe I should start dissing Coulson. Seems like it kinda makes his day."

"What do I know. But I think that's how they make up."

"I don't understand old people."

"Me neither. They're strange."


	6. Epilogue I and II

Epilogue I

"Mr. Director. I appreciate your taking the time."

"Do I have a choice?"

Emma swallowed. Fury took the seat behind his desk.

"Let's do this. I'm late for a barbecue."

"Of course. I wanted to discuss the team deployed to 616. I understand this unit is of special interest to you. One of them has submitted a request for transfer. Agent May. I thought you should know that we plan to approve it."

"Tell me why the hell we'd do a fool thing like that."

"Well sir, all agents are entitled - "

"Yeah, but wouldn't this be her third? Three requests in -"

"Two, sir. Excuse me. This is her second. The most recent one, I think you're referring to, that was listed as unasked."

"I see. Damn it."

Emma cleared her throat. "The fact of the matter is, I'm concerned about the group dynamic."

"The what now?"

"As you are aware, sir, Congress has tasked my department with conducting a thorough review and assessment of human capital in-."

"Yeah, I know. I was at that meeting."

"I performed the review of 616 myself. I found significant complications."

"Such as."

"We could begin with Agent May's situation." Emma pulled a folder from the pile in her lap. She dropped it on the Director's desk. "She is divorced from her commanding officer."

Fury fixed on her with his one good eye: "I'm aware."

"Additionally. She's in love with him."

"So. Am I hearing this straight?" Fury's voice dripped with ridicule. "You're worried that _the Cavalry_ has been compromised?" He stood up and drew himself to his full height. "Let me restore your peace of mind, Miss Anderson. Agent May has no problem following my orders on that plane. She wants to stay there. But she also wants to be ordered."

Emma's eyes met Fury's stare. She pressed her lips together.

"She's not the one I'm worried about."

[...]

Epilogue II

"I don't understand."

"It's alright. You don't have to understand."

"Yes, I do."

Audrey dared to look at him. He was leaning in, mouth ajar. She hated knowing that she was the cause of the hurt splashing across his face.

"When I was laying in that hospital bed, I was pretty out of it. The whole thing is a blur, from beginning to end. But I remember some things."

He gazed at her, waiting.

"I remember I asked you to stay. I remember you left."

Now he spoke, agitation bubbling to the surface. "We've discussed this. I had an obligation. I still do. To SHIELD. To my team."

"I know. You told me," she said, "when I first met you. You told me that you're a company guy. A true believer. The job is your world, your identity. You told me that as far as they're concerned at your office, your first name is "Agent."

"Yes."

Audrey sighed. She blinked back tears. She forced herself to smile.  
"That woman who came to save me."

"Yes?"

"She called you 'Phil.'"


	7. Authors Notes

I am simultaneously irritated and fascinated by lit crit. So I wrote this story as if I were going to have to analyze it to death. You might notice parallels between certain scenes - repeated lines/settings. That was deliberate. There's an extended metaphor with the wall. You know, stuff.

But basically I wanted to work through my frustrations with two of my favorite characters, sweet Phil Coulson and badass Melinda May. Here Coulson engages in an asshat habit of his (at least lately) - blaming stuff on May. In the story I tried to show that they have this interaction where they are going through the same motions over and over again:

She is locked up (emotionally, physically, whatever,) he tries to break her out, he blames her for not getting free, she blames him for blaming her, etc. It looks like this time there might be progress - the actual physical wall is actually taken down with a chainsaw - thanks Blake! The next scene has Coulson looking down on what he thinks is her dead body. Wow. Drama. If anything could knock them loose from the cycle, its this.

But then we see him start to "pin it" on her - "don't do this to me," etc. She hears him and wakes up to register her irritation at that. In the end, its kind of up in the air if any major change has happened between them. Coulson is happy - maybe this time he really was "there" when she "came out of it?" Does he really get why she called him a jerk? But then we find out Agent May is asking for a transfer.

Basically I see them as star-crossed people who despite being cool, confident, totally independent and capable individuals, are helplessly drawn to each other like magnets, inescapably, over a lifetime.

Let me know what you think and what you "see." That's the thing about lit crit - sometimes readers can see even more breadcrumbs there than what the author "knows" she included.

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